Tibo suffered a heart attack at an early age. After dying briefly and being brought back by the paramedics, he had a new appreciation for life. He also had a new appreciation for his gorgeous boss, Salvatore Fernando.

When their lives are threatened and they have to go on the run, Tibo is happy to go as long as he gets to stay by Sal's side. He's even more elated when Sal makes his desires known. But what doesn't thrill Tibo is discovering that he is a phoenix.

Now, with danger coming at them from every turn and not knowing who they can trust, Tibo must learn to give his loyalty and understanding to his new lover, especially when Sal transforms into something only whispered about in folklore.

Can Sal keep Tibo safe as they try desperately to find a place to call home, and can Tibo save Sal when he takes a bullet to save Tibo’s life? Or will their new beginning end before it's even started?

STORY EXCERPT

Sal pulled Tibo close to his side and wrapped his arm around Tibo’s shoulders. He wasn’t sure what was going on but he wasn’t taking any chances. He had almost lost the man once, and this trip wasn’t turning out to be one of his better ideas.

“Are you doing okay, Tibo?”

Tibo looked around the interior of the vehicle nervously. “I’m scared, Sal.”

Sal ran his hand down Tibo’s back. The man had only been his bartender for two years, but he had grown on Sal to the point that he wanted to take their friendship to the next level. Hell, who was he kidding? He wanted to fuck Tibo into the mattress—for a week.

Sal turned and watched out of the window as the city disappeared. He knew they were headed to the bayou, but he wasn’t too sure he wanted Tibo mixed up in this crazy voodoo crap. He wanted to take the man and run as far away as he could get.

“I have you, Tibo,” Sal said as he sat back, allowing the three men in the Hummer to drive him and Tibo into the unknown. “I have you.”

“Yeah.” Tibo shuddered. “But who has you?”

“Huh?”

Tibo nodded toward the other men in the vehicle, the rather large men. “What if this is another setup or something? Who’s going to protect you?”

Something in Tibo’s words and the concern on his face warmed Sal right down to his toes. Could Tibo actually be worried about him? One corner of Sal’s mouth quirked up. He liked that thought. “I’m good, bebé. I’m a pretty hard guy to take down.”

Tibo’s perfectly manicured strawberry-blond eyebrows drew together as he frowned. “Why did you call me bebé?”

Sal swallowed hard as panic seized him. Was he ready to tell Tibo how he felt? Was he even sure how he felt? “Slip of the tongue.” Guess not.

“Oh.”

Tibo’s face fell and he turned away to look out the window. Sal felt like shit. He reached over and grabbed Tibo’s chin gently in his hand, a little shocked at how much of Tibo’s face his hand actually covered.

“Look at me, Tibo.”

Tibo’s eyes were slow to rise but they did, the blue green of his irises shining brightly in the late-evening sun. Sal opened his mouth to tell Tibo that he was sorry but the sadness in the man’s eyes robbed him of speech. Going with his gut instinct instead, Sal leaned in and plastered his mouth over Tibo’s.

He was surprised how good Tibo felt in his arms. The guy tasted like sweet man and heaven. Sal pulled Tibo closer, nearly pulling the smaller man onto his lap. He was lost in the kiss, forgetting that they weren’t alone.

“That good?” One of the guys chuckled but Sal didn’t pay attention to who it was. He was more concerned with conveying his feelings through that sweet-as-sin kiss.

Tibo pulled back, staring up at Sal as if he had the answers to the universe. From the way the man was praising him with his eyes, Sal felt he did. He grinned when Tibo licked his lips, his chest rising and falling as his eyes darted around.

“Why did you kiss me?”

Sal thought it had been obvious, but apparently not. He cleared his throat as he set Tibo aside. He needed to get a grip before he pulled the man that made his heart thunder in every possible way into the back of the SUV and had his wicked way with him.

ADULT EXCERPT

Tibo woke seeing nothing. It was dark except for a sliver of moonlight coming through a crack in the curtains. He glanced over to his right, seeing Sal fast asleep. Tibo slipped from his bed, crawling onto Sal’s.

He curled up next to the large man, trying to burrow under him. Sal grunted, wrapped his arm around Tibo, and pulled him under his large body. Tibo smiled. He liked the way Sal tried to protect him, even in his sleep.

Tibo began to doze back off when he felt something very hard poke him in his back. He didn’t think Sal was awake, but he was buried under the large man and couldn’t look up to see. Tibo pressed his ass backward. He wasn’t a virgin, not by far, but he’d never been with a large man before. All his past lovers had been his height and weight.

It thrilled him to think of Sal dominating him, making him follow orders. Tibo bit his bottom lip as he wiggled his ass around a little. He wanted to feel that hard cock smashed against his ass, not his back.

“Keep that up, and I’m going to fuck you,” Sal’s deep and sleep-filled voice said from above him.

Tibo’s heart quickened as he braved it and wiggled again. He gasped when Sal rolled, placing Tibo below him, grabbing his wrists, and pushing them above his head.

“Do you want to get fucked, bebé?”

Tibo swallowed and nodded. He had been wanting to get fucked by Sal from the moment he had laid eyes on him. He just hadn’t been brave enough to voice his desire. It seemed he was finally going to get his wish.

“Stand and strip.” Sal’s voice was deep, commanding, and guttural.

Tibo shivered as Sal released him. He stood, his hands shaking as he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it aside, and then pushed his pants down his legs, kicking them off along with his underwear. He groaned when he bent to remove his socks and felt a hand glide over his ass.

“You have a very nice body, bebé.”

“T–Thank you.”

Sal slid from the bed and disrobed. Tibo gulped when he saw the large cock slap Sal’s belly. His mouth watered to taste it, to take it into his mouth and suck it until Sal shouted his name. Would Sal shout his name?

Sal tossed his clothes aside and then cupped Tibo’s face, rubbing their cocks together as he kissed Tibo as if he mattered, like he was really into this. Tibo moaned as Sal cupped his ass, pulling him closer, taking the kiss deeper. Had he tasted anything better than Sal’s lips?

Hell no!

Tibo’s skin broke out in goose bumps as Sal’s hands left his ass and glided over his back. He wanted to climb the large man and beg to be fucked. Somehow, Tibo knew to wait until Sal told him what to do. And that was fine by Tibo.

“You’re mine, Tibo. I won’t share you with anyone else. Do I make myself clear?”

Tibo nodded. “Yes, sir.”

A low and undistinguished sound left Sal’s lips at Tibo’s answer. Tibo knew it was because he had called Sal sir. He smiled to himself as Sal walked Tibo backward, the back of his legs hitting the bed behind him.

“Get onto the bed and lie on your back,” Sal commanded.

Tibo twisted around, scrambling to do as the larger man commanded. His skin buzzed with excitement at the knowledge that Sal was finally going to take him. Tibo lay on his back and spread his legs wide, inviting the larger man to have his wicked way with him.

“Very good, bebé.”

Tibo thrilled at the praise. He fisted the sheets as Sal crawled onto the bed, smoothing his hands over Tibo’s legs. He was dying to move, to wiggle around and beg Sal to fuck him already, but he bit back his urges.

“Nice tattoo, bebé,” Sal said as his hand stroked over Tibo’s left shoulder blade. “I guess I should call you gatito instead of bebé.”

“Why?”

“Because you remind me of a kitten, all soft and cuddly, but cute as hell. This tattoo of a kitten on your shoulder just reaffirms my belief.”

“Okay.” Tibo shuddered as Sal’s hand stroked over him again. Sal could call him whatever he wanted as long as he never stopped doing that.

“Is this your first time, Tibo?”

Disappointment filled him that he couldn’t tell Sal yes. He wanted to badly but wasn’t going to lie to the man who owned his heart. “No, sir.”

Sal nodded. He didn’t look disappointed, so Tibo relaxed. His eyes damn near rolled to the back of his head as Sal’s fingertips played over his skin, slowly making their way toward his hardened shaft. Tibo almost whined at the slow pace.

“Are you very experienced?”

Tibo didn’t want to discuss his past lovers. This wasn’t the time to go over scorecards! He shook his head as he felt his entire body flush.

“I’ve had a handful,” he confessed.

Sal smiled. He wasn’t sure how to take that smile. He knew Sal pretty well from working with him, but he’d never slept with the guy, so bedroom body language was unknown to him.

Sal wrapped his large hand around Tibo’s cock. This time he couldn’t stop the moan. His legs spread wider as Sal stroked his cock. The other hand cupped his balls, massaging them as Sal watched him intently.

“We don’t have lube. You’re going to come for me so we can use that as lube.”

It wasn’t a request.

Tibo nodded, his eyes locking onto Sal’s as the larger man began to jack him off.

“You have permission to move, gatito.”

Tibo didn’t need to be told twice. He writhed, squirmed, and moaned as he succumbed to the waves of ecstasy that tried to pull him under. He lay there drowned in a flood tide of exquisite rapture as Sal took him to another place, a place where Tibo was no longer his own person, a place where Sal owned him, mind, body, and soul.